Machine for treating mohair staples and the like



Oct. 21, 1958 c. PLASSA ETAL 2,856,641

MACHINE FOR TREATING MOHAIR STAPLES AND THE LIKE Filed D80. 6, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l Ill 1 INVENTOR lam-W MACHINE FOR TREATING MOHAIR STAPLES AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 6, 1954 Oct. 21, 1958 c. PLASSA ETAL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 w mw m m .3 w 0% m A J WW n QM &\ W k K MN QM mu \M N h N m wm m6 kw m m W. 3 x Q N i i. ll' My... 1 N I] a Q m\ w Wu mm Q entangled to enable United States Patent Ofifi ce I 2,856,641 Patented Oct. 21, 1958 2,856,641 MACHINE FOR TREATING MOHAIR STAPLES AND THE LIKE Carlos Plassa and Francisco Plassa, Avellaneda, Argentina Application December 6, 1954, Serial No. 473,406 3 Claims. (Cl. 19-115) The present invention relates to chine for disentangling, cleaning and mohair staples and the like and more particularly for obtaining pure mohair by eliminating seeds and other foreign particles as well as the degenerated hairs or fibres of the staples.

The goat industry has its origin at the Tahr or Himalayan wild goats (Hermz'tragus jemlaicus) living in high altitudes and frequently the most inaccessible ground of all ruminants. The wool or mohair produced by these goats is pure that is to say both clean and does not include degenerated hairs which usually are shorter and of a different constitution.

In the United States the goat industry is largely confined to the Edwards plateau and the hilly regions of west-central Texas. The fleeces there collected are mostly degenerated due to crossing of the pure-bred goat with the more or less common kind of goat and the result is that the fabrics produced with this type of mohair when not duly selected, which was so far not satisfactorily possible, has the drawback that there is no dyestutf which will uniformly dye the fabrics constituted of pure and degenerated hairs.

The typical mohair fibre is 7 to 8 in. long, very lustrous owing to its physical structure ,4 to ,4 of an inch in diameter, of a soft elastic handle and usually of a clear white transparent colour. To this end the staples of which the fleece is formed should be uniform in length and clearly defined so that the fleece will lend itself to a good spin--a diificult attainment in the case of mohair.

In order to overcome these drawbacks it is known that several efforts have been made to clean the staples by pneumatic arrangements based on the fact that the seeds and other foreign particles entrained by the goats which live in dusty regions as well as the degenerated fibres have a different specific weight than the pure mohair fibres. Unfortunately these arrangements were not successful due to the fact that the mohair staples are too efiicient separation of the pure mohair fibres by pneumatic procedures.

Consequently it has been an aim of the mohair industry to be able to produce a pure fabric which has now become possible in view of the present invention which provides a machine for disentangling, cleaning and selecting entangled mohair staples and the like, comprising a pair of staple conveyer means having at least one superposed zone for lodging end portions of mohair staples in between them and thereby freely supporting unclamped portions of said staples, spaced apart clamping means operatively connected to said conveyer means for positively clamping said end portions in determined zones of said superposed zone of said conveyer means and means for disentangling, cleaning and selecting theunclamped portions of said staples.

The present invention relates also to a method for disentangling, cleaning and selecting mohair staples and the like comprising these steps of parallelly feeding successive staples on a conveyer, said staples having one end pora method and maselecting entangled tion and tips, clamping said one end portion of said staple on said conveyor, gradually cleaning by means of combing rollers starting from said tips towards said one end portion the unclamped portion of said staple, loosening the clamping effect on said one end portion of said staples and moving said staples along their axes and clamping the tips of said staples and cleaning by combing said one end portion of said staples, unclamping said tips and discharging the cleaned staple from said conveyer.

Whilst the preferred use of the machine of the present invention is for mohair staples, it is obvious that the said machine may be used for disentangling and/or cleaning and/ or selecting other staples and the changes which will be necessary such as eventual changes of speed in the cleaning means etc. are within the normal resources of anybody skilled in the art and consequently they will not be described.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a machine by means of which it is possible to carry out a fine selection of any type of staples or any other mass of unorientated fibres.

Another object is to provide a machine of simple structure which may be operated even by unskilled operators.

Still a further object is to provide a machine where the feeding arrangement thereof is simultaneously simple and eflicient.

These and further objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent during the course of i the following description, wherein by way of example a preferred embodiment is shown.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a plan view of the machine in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the machine.

Figure 3 is a detail in front elevation of the clamping means.

Figure 4 is a side elevation partially in section of part of the clamping means.

Figure 5 is a schematic illustration in side elevation of the arrangement of the card wires of the combing and cleaning drum.

As may be seen from Figures 1 and 2 the machine for disentangling cleaning and selecting entangled mohair staples and the like mainly consists of a supporting frame 1 supporting staple conveyer means consisting of two endless conveyer belts of which the lower one is identified by reference numeral endless belt 3 so that the lower endless belt 2 has an outwardly projecting portion 2' which, as may be better seen in Figure l is coplanar with a third endless belt 4 of preferably larger width than the other two belts 2 and 3.

on shaft 45 which also supports a first drum 7, drives the belt 2 which is mounted on the said drum. The belt 2 is endless and forms a closed loop one end of which is trained over the driven drum 7 and the other end of which is trained over and supported by second drum 8 freely mounted on shaft 46 supported by the supporting frame 1. The upper endless belt 3 is trained about a third drum 9 and a fourth drum 10, respectively freely rotatably supported on shafts 47 and 48 (see Figure 2) also arranged in supporting frame 1. It may already be seen now that the lower endless belt 2 has a larger path between its first and second drums 7 and 8, respectively,

then the upper endless belt" 3 between its third drum 9 and fourth'drum 10.

It may thus be understood that the lower endless belt 2 is driven by means of the driving relationship existing with driving belt 6, as revio sly explained, in the direction indicated by arrows'49."Since thejupper belt 3 is "frictionally engaged with the lower belt 2 between the path defined by a first plane passing through the axis of shafts 45 and 47 and a second plane parallel to said first plane driven thereby in the direction 'indi'cated'by arrows"'50. The path between the above mentioned first and second planes will be'herein'a'fter .called thesuperposed zone of the upper belt 3 and lower belt 2.

'The third endless belt 4 is likewise mounted on the second drum 8 and afifth'drurn ll'fre'elysupported on a shaft also mounted in thel'supporting frame 1. This third 'endless' belt 4 describes a path as defined by arrows 49' and '49". 'Obviouslythe'tliird endless beltis' driven due to the fact'that it is mounted on the same second drum 8 which is driven by the lower endless belt 2.

The outwardly'projecting portion 2' of endlessbelt 2 andthe third belt 4 which is as previously stated preferably of larger width,"'define' between both in the portion coresponding to arrow'49' which is the upper portion, a movable feeding table'for transporting the mohair staples towards the superposed zone, as'will be later explained.

In the superposed zone, as may be appreciated in Figure 1 a' pair of spaced"apart'clmaping means 12 and 12 are arranged one of which is shown in greater detail in Figures 3 and 4. These clamping means are so designed as to be capable of pressing the corresponding portion which they control of the upperendless belt 3v against the lower endless belt 2.

To this end, as may be seen in" Figure 2,.the clamping means 12 (schematically indicated) consists of two. series of freely rotatable pressing rollers, more particularly the lower series 14 and the upper series 15.

As may be seen in'Figure 3, wherein one pressing'roller 14 is shown in s'ection,'the latter is mounted as well as its similar ones both of the lower series of rollers 14. and the upper series ofrollers 15, on a. shaft 17 the outwardly projecting ends of which are mounted inball bearings 18 so that'the lower endless belt 2 and likewise the upper endless belt 3 will easily slide between the clamping means 12. It may also be appreciated inFigure 3 thatbetween the two belts the mohair staple is identified by reference numeral 16.

The "lower" series of pressing rollers 14 is mounted on .a stationary support 19 (see .also Figure. 2.) .rigidlyconnected to the supporting-frame .Lwhilsttheupper series of pressing rollers is mounted on'a movablesupport 20 (part of which is also shown in Figure 4) and which movable support 20 comprises a slot 21 and a guiding screw 22 passing through said slot-and screwed into a stationary frame 23 rigidly connected to thestationary support 19 which, as previously stated, is supported by the stationary frame 1. The movable support 20 comprises a spring projecting support 24 in which one end of helical spring 25 is mounted, the other end of which is housed in a spring housing 51 controlled by pressure screw 26 having an operating wing nut 27. Screw 26 is screwed into a projecting portion 52 of the stationary frame '23 so that the pressure of spring 25 may be'controlled by said'wing nut 27, and thereby obviously also the pressure with which the clamping means will operate on the corresponding zone, hereinafter called determined zone of the upper and lower belts 3 and 2, respectively. 'The upper and lower series of rollers 14 and 15 and more particularly each roller 14 and 15" (see Figure 3) are provided with end flanges 28 in 'order to conveniently guide the belts 2 and 3, respectively.

The-clamping means 13 have likewise'the same-structural arrangement and therefore will'not be redescribed.

and passing through axis 48, the upper belt 3 is The machine of the present invention further comprises means for disentangling, cleaning and selecting said'mohair staples and which means are facing the clamping means 12 and 13, respectively. Each of these means for disentangling, cleaning and selecting comprises a combing roller 29 and 35), respectively, and a cleaning roller 31 and 32, respectively. Each of the combing rollers and cleaning rollers, as may be seen in Figure 5, wherein combing roller 29and cleaning roller 31 are shown,=cornprises a card clothing 53 and 54, respectively. The shape of the card. wires of the card clothing53 isofthe type including an angle of bend, whilst the shape of the card wires of. the card clothing 54 are straight and preferably of smaller height than those of card, clothing 53. The

height of the card Wire corresponding to card clothing 53 is approximately /2 in. so that the card clothing is quite elastic. The tips of the card teeth of the card clothings 53 and 54 are not in contact, nor. dotheymesh, as may be .clearly appreciated in'Figure 5.

Each of the combing, rollersu29. and30 as well as the cleaning rollers131and' 32,.comprise arrespective cylindrical portion 29', 30; 31', 32., and afrustoconical. portion 29",30", 31", 32", respectively.

Both pairs of rollers 29, 31 and 30, 32 aredrivenby an electric motor 40havinga. driving pulley 55on which. a

.driving belt'39 is mounted for transmitting'the driving movement to.transrnission pulleyv 56 mounted,on:shaft.38 also supported by themain.supportingirame 1.v .Shaft 38 supports a first combing roller transmissioirpulley 57 and a second combing roller transmissionpulley,58 of smaller diameter than said first pulley, 57 and also supports a pair of ,cleaningrollertransmission pulleys 59hand 60, preferably ,ofthesame. diameter and of asmaller diameterthan the second. combing roller transmission pulley 58.

Each of the rollers 29 to,.32,are respectively rotatably supported on shafts 29a, 30a, 31a, 32a, mounted insuitable bearings 61 andsupported bythermaint supporting frame 1.

Each of shafts 29a to 32a further support -z 1 .--pulleyv 62, 63, 64, 65, respectively, so that, a crossed belt 36-,rnounted on pulleys57 and 62, a straightbelt34. mounted-monpulleys 59 and 64 and a crossed belt 37 mounted, on, pulleys '60 and 65 and a straight .belt 35 mounted, on pulleys-58 and 63, respectively, transmitthe rotary moyementsupplied by. electric motor 40 to their rollers 29, 31, 32 ,and 30, respectively. It wil1,.b,e;.understood that in view, of the .belt arrangement described, ,the, combing rollers 29 and 30.wil1.respectively rotate inuthe directionsindicated byarrows 66 and 67 and. thecleaningrollers 3.1:and 32 willrotate in opposite directions. .Usually combing roller 29 rotates. at .1200 R. P. M., combing roller 30, at1800 R. P. .M. andthecleianing rollers 31-and 32 at 400 R. P. M. each.

If desired instead of two -motors 5 and '40, a single motor withsuitable transmissionmeanszmay be provided.

The process and'operation of the, above described arrangement is as follows:

" Once the electric motors .Sand. 40,;have been started, successivestaples of mohair or. thelike aregsubstantially parallellyplaced on the feedingarrangementwconsisting of.the third endless belt 4 andthe:outwardly-projecting portion 2'. and attention should be paid, that thestaples shall not project out of the free edge-2a of belt 2, that is to. say. the-edge opposite to thethird belt 4. ,-.Consequ,ently the staples 68 are substantially perpendicularly. arranged .to longitudinal axis of the belt 2.

The. staple-will, thus be transported ,in the direction indicated by arrow 49: (see Figure 2) and enter the;super- .posed zone where thesmall portion of the staples arranged on belt 2 will be clamped between the'lower'belt 2 and the upper belt 3 whilst 'theremaining portion of the staples-will hang over .and be movedtowards combing roller 29.

aseaeat As these remaining portions will start to face the cleaning means and more particularly the combing roller 29, the small portions of the staples clamped between belts 2 and 3, will be firmly clamped by means of the clamping means 13 and the tips of the remaining outwardly projecting portions of the staples will start to enter in contact with the tapered portion 29 which gradually will start its disentangling, cleaning and selecting operation by withdrawing any type of foreign particles as well as a large portion of the degenerated hairs which are of smaller length than the pure hairs so that these degenerated hairs are not clamped by the clamping means 13. As the endless belts 2 and 3 move along the path indicated by arrows 49 and 50, the frustroconical portion 29 gradually enters deeper and deeper into the outwardly projecting or hanging portion of the staples until it finally reaches the cylindrical portion 29 where practically the complete hanging portion of the staples are disentangled, cleaned and selected. By cleaned is to be understood the withdrawal or cleaning of foreign particles; by selecting is to be understood the Withdrawal of degenerated fibres or hairs.

It has been found that it is advisable that the speed of the combing roller 29 is approximately three times larger than the speed of its cleaning roller 31, and that the combing roller 29 is best cleaned if the tips of the card wires of the combing roller and cleaning roller are not in contact since due to the difference in speed of the combing roller and cleaning roller the free ends of the degenerated hairs held by the combing roller are projecting out therefrom and are gripped by the cleaning rollers card wires, which since they rotate slower clean the combing roller card clothing.

Since the upper pressing rollers 15 are elastically mounted due to spring 26, in case an excessive amount of staples tends to enter between rollers 14 and 15, they are able to overcome the tension of spring 25 and thereby pass through the clamping arrangement.

Once the staples have passed through the cleaning arrangement corresponding to combing roller 29, they also passed through the clamping means 13 and consequently the clamped portion of the staples is somewhat unclamped and it is possible for an operator to move these staples perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of belt 2, so that the previously clamped portions of the staples will hang over the edge 2a of belt 2 in order to face the cleaning arrangement corresponding to rollers 30 and 32. Obviously the tips of the staples which were first cleaned by combing roller 29, will now remain clamped between the belts 2 and 3 and enter the clamping means 12 so that the uncleaned overhanging portion of the staples will now be disentangled, cleaned and selected by the combing roller 30, similarly as already described in connection with combing roller 29. Inasmuch as this cleaning operation requires less work, since it is only a small portion, it is sufiicient that the speed of the combing roller 30 is approximately twice as much as that of the cleaning roller 32 which has substantially the same speed as cleaning roller 31, as may be understood by comparing the size of pulleys 57, 58 and 59, 60. The speed of the rollers depends on the speed of the belts.

Once the thus cleaned staples have passed through the clamping means 12, a flapper 41 mounted on shaft 30a and which has only been schematically indicated and which consists for instance of a rotatable lever, continuously strikes the overhanging portion of the staples and thereby discharges the staples from the endless belts 2 and 3.

It is believed that further details such as the complete arrangement of the supporting frame 1 are not required to be further described or illustrated, since anybody skilled in the art will understand them.

Although the rollers are covered with card clothing, the function of the rollers is better described as "combing and, therefore, rollers.

We claim:

1. A machine for disentangling, cleaning and selecting entangled mohair staples and the like comprising a supporting frame; a first drum rotatably supported by said supporting frame, driving means for driving said first drum, a second drum, a third drum and a fourth drum each rotatably supported by said supporting frame, said third drum being located above said first drum and in substantiallythe same vertical plane, a lower endless belt rotatably mounted on said first and second drum, an upper endless belt rotatably mounted on said third and fourth drum, a fifth drum rotatably supported by said supporting frame and located in the horizontal plane passing through said first and second drum, said fourth drum being located above said fifth drum, said upper endless belt describing a shorter path than said lower they are referred to herein as combing endless belt, a superposed one of belts formed by said upper and lower endless belts between said first and third drums, on the one hand, and said fourth and fifth drums on the other hand, a third endless belt rotatably mounted on said second drum and fifth drum and adjacently arranged to a portion of said lower belt, a pair of spaced apart clamping means for pressing determined zones of said superposed zone of said lower endless belt against said upper endless belt, each of said clamping means comprising a series of lower pressing rollers and a series of upper pressing roller, a stationary support for one of said series of rollers and an elastically movable support for the other series of rollers, cleaning means facing each of said pair of clamping means and each cleaning means consisting of a combing roller and cleaning roller, said combing roller having a tapered portion and a cylindrical portion, said tapered portion being directed towards said fourth and fifth drums, said cleaning roller being complementary in shape to said combing roller, driving means for driving said combing rollers and cleaning rollers whereby said combing rollers are driven at higher speed than said cleaning rollers and staple discharge means arranged adjacent to said first and third drum for discharging clean staples from said upper and lower endless belts.

2. A machine for disentangling, cleaning; and selecting entangled mohair staples and the like comprising a supporting frame; a first drum rotatably supported by said supporting frame, driving means for driving said first drum, a second drum, a third drum and a fourth drum each rotatably supported by said supporting frame, said third drum being located above said first drum and in substantially the same vertical plane, a lower endless belt rotatably mounted on said first and second drum, an upper endless belt rotatably mounted on said third and fourth drum, a fifth drum rotatably supported by said supporting frame and located in the horizontal plane passing through said first and second drum, said fourth drum being located above said fifth drum, said upper endless belt describing a shorter path than said lower endless belt, a superposed zone of belts formed by said upper and lower endless belts between said first and third drums, on the one hand, and said fourth and fifth drums, on the other hand, a third endless belt rotatably mounted on said second drum and fifth drum and adjacently arranged to a portion of said lower belt, a pair of spaced apart clamping means for pressing determined zones of said superposed, zone of said lower endless belt against said upper endless belt, each of said clamping means comprising a series of lower pressing rollers and a series of upper pressing rollers, a stationary support for one of said series of rollers and an elastically movable support for the other series of rollers, a pair of cleaning means with one of said cleaning means facing each of said pair of clamping means and each cleaning means consisting of a combing roller and cleaning roller, said combing roller having a tapered portion and a cylindrical portion,

;said taper ed; portion being directed stewards. said-. ;f0 and fifth drums, said cleaning roller being complementary in shape to said combing roller, card clothing foreach of; said rollers thecard clothing of said combingroller being-toutofscontact-but adjacent to the card clothing of saidvcleaning roller,;,--dr-iy ing .means-tor driving said ,combing, rollers and cleaningrollers whereby said combing rollers are vdriven at higher-speed than said cleaning rollers and staple discharge means arranged adjacent to lsaid first and third;,drum fordisc-hargingl clean staples from saidupper :and; lower. endless. belts.

r rmach neg orr s a s ng,sele nin a d. selecting entangled mohairstaples andthe like comprising a supporting frame;'a first jdrum; rotatably supported by said supporting frame, driving means torq driving' said first drum, a second drum, a third drum-and afourthdrum 'e-achrotatably supported by said supporting frame, said 'third drum being located; above said;-first drumand in substantially the same vertical-. plane, a lower endless belt :rotatably mounted on said first and second; drum, an upper endless belt rotatably mounted ont said thirdand fourth drum, a fifth drum rotatably supported-by said supporting frameand-located in the horizontal plane passing through'said first ands-second drum, said fourth ;drum,-b eing--located above, saidfifth drum, said upper endless beltdescribing a .-shorter path than said lower endless belt, a superposed zone of belts formed-by said npper land lower endless belts between said first and thirddrums, onthe one hand, and said fourth and fifth drums, on the-other hand, a-third endless belt rotatably mountedron said second drum and fifth drum and adjacently arranged to a portion of said lower belt, a pair of spaced apart clamping-means for pressing determined zones of said, superposedgzone of said lower endless belt-againstsaidupper endless. belt, each of isaid clamping .rneans comprisingv a series: of Tlower, pressing rollers. and

a series of gupper pressing rollers end flanges for each of said rollers -for guiding said lower. and upperendless belts, a stationary support for one ofsaid series of rollers and an-elastically:rnovable and controllable support for thepther seriesof zIOllfiIS, cleaning means facing each of said pair of clarnping means and each cleaning means consisting of a combing roller and, cleaning roller, .said

combing roller having ataperedportion, and a cylindrical portion, said tapered portion being directed towards :said fourthand fifth; drums, said cleaning roller being-complementary in shape to said combing roller, card-clothing For each ofzsaid rollers, the card clothing of said, combing roller being out of contact but adjacenttosthe card clothing of said cleaning'roller, driving-tmeans tfor driving said combing rollers, and:.cleaning rollers whereby said combing rollers are drivenat higher speed thansaid cleaning rollers and staple discharge. means arranged adjacent to said first and third drum forjdischarging clean staples from said upper and lower endless belts.

ReferencesCited in the file of this, patent UNITED. STATES PATENTS -328,355 A Stephens Oct; 13;1885 1,059,105 Barbour Apr. l5, 1913 1,255,065 "Teresa Ian. 29-, 1918 FOREIGN PATENTS 22,324 GreatBritain 05 1910 5 16,050 Great Britain DcgZO} 1939 

